Rajasthan women revive hills with seed balls
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Women in Rajsamand district, Rajasthan, India are using slingshots to distribute seed balls across the Aravalli hills, working to restore vegetation to rocky terrain.
For the past eight years, these women have combined household work with environmental conservation, trekking into difficult-to-reach areas during the monsoon season. They create seed balls from soil, manure, and seeds of local species like neem and jamun, then launch them towards hillsides.
The initiative, a collaboration between Deogarh municipality and local organizations, aims to re-green areas impacted by forest fires or vegetation loss. The seed balls disintegrate with rainfall, allowing seeds to germinate without traditional planting methods. This year, the campaign also focuses on hills damaged by mining and barren land managed at the local government level. Over 150,000 seed balls have been scattered in the region since the project began, and organizers have trained students and villagers to participate.
The women also gather seeds from fruits they eat at home, reducing waste and increasing the variety of plants. Each seed ball costs approximately ₹2, and the technique has reportedly achieved a 70 percent success rate.
